LEARN FROM SHARK TANK…PLEASE!

I love the show Shark Tank and odds are you do too. When people get a deal, I’m happy for them. But my favorite part is when the sharks get pitched an idea, that according to the entrepreneur has “global demand with RAVING customers” and when they tell the sharks their sales, everyone laughs. It is laughable. The fact that so many people think they have a unique, must have, powerful business, yet when it comes down to the nut cuttin’ they have no meaningful sales. If you and your product is SOOOOOO GREAT…why don’t you have any sales? And even though over 5 million people watch Shark Tank each week (not including reruns on CNBC), millions of people still repeat the same mistake everyday on social media.

Every day, all day long, I see people on social media pushing their “GURU” style videos and courses. “Let me show you the roadmap” they say. “Just buy my $499 course and the secrets of my success will be yours.” With the exception of a handful, if you asked them their annual sales, most would be laughed out of the tank. The real revenue of the business that makes them an expert would be so low it would be laughable.

Yet day after day, week after week, there they are on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat, telling us all why they are the greatest and why we should follow their lead.

Here is an idea. How about you stop posting, promising and promoting yourself and your courses, and you build a bona fide business. A business that generates millions in sales. A business that employs people. A business that has scaled and has stood the test of time.

Make today the day that you decide to get real about your business and your credibility. The climb is part of it and most people would be interested in watching you go through it. If you must hit record daily, be transparent about your journey. Show us the pain, the struggles, and the challenges. Keep it real, don’t hide or mask it, show it to us. Remember, just because you are in business does not mean you are an expert. Just because, in a great economy, you have been able to squeak by and not go broke does not mean you can teach anyone anything. What matters is the truth AND real revenue, sales and cash flow. If you don’t have tons of it, I suggest you put the camera down and pick up the phone and start cold calling.

Learn from the examples on Shark Tank. First comes the idea, then massive action, then real REVENUE, then expertise, then credibility. After all of this… maybe, just maybe, then comes a deal. Otherwise, I’m OUT!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Matt Manero is the Founder and President of Commercial Fleet Financing, Inc. (CFF) located in Dallas, TX. CFF is celebrating its 22nd year in business and provides financing for commercial fleet vehicles such as box trucks, cargo vans, big rigs, tow trucks, dump trucks and construction equipment. CFF is a 4-time winner of the 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017. Inc. Magazine Top 500/5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies in America. Matt and his world class team has helped thousands of small business owners move closer to the money they deserve. He is the author of, “The Grit”, and his forthcoming book, “YOU NEED MORE MONEY” will be out in March 2018. Learn more at www.cffnationwide.com or call 972.247.8447 phone or on all social media platforms via @Matt Manero.